tips for future fret slotting?

[PRSpoggers]

I'm working on my first ever guitar build and I am slotting the neck. It's a very hard task to complete with a miter box and a fret saw and scale template for the frets. I would consider for the future getting the stew mac fret slotting jig but thats over 2oo dollars. Not a wise investment for a tool I'd only be using once in a while. For my first guitar, I will have to learn from my mistakes of fret slotting but how? I've considered a few ways, building a jig w/the indexing pin stew mac provided with my fret ruler, manually measure everything out or cut it with the jig with a table saw. I am getting a membership at a woodworking shop that provides me 2 hour blocks of full access to the workshop and tools. Every luthier doesn't have a perfect first guitar, yet I can learn from my mistakes. Where can I be pointed for guidance?

[ScottR]

I bought the StewMac set-up and a template for it for my first guitar. I just considered it part of the cost for that guitar and have been using it free ever since. I only make one or two guitars a year and have always considered money very well spent. There is something to be said for getting the right tool for the job. It doesn't have to be the most expensive, just a tool that does what is needed. Explore the used market.

I understand you are considering a career in building guitars. Getting yourself frustrated every step of the way because you are making do with tools that don't really do what you need is a good way to spoil that dream.

You have the template. Use the pin. What you need is something that holds your saw blade at ninety degrees to the surface of your fret board bland  and ninety degrees to the center line. That's it. You need  a way to quit fighting a wandering saw blade.

SR